Dems push for increases in minimum wage, cigarette tax
http://www.gazetteonline.com/2005/12/15/Home/legislaturedemocrats.htmDemocrats want to raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.15 and approve increases in the cigarette tax to provide funds for other measures, such as property tax relief or making health care more accessible.
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An increase from 36 cents a pack to 72 cents was approved by the evenly divided Senate earlier this year. Under that plan, the proceeds would go to property tax relief.
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I hate to bring up the cigarette tax on another thread, but this article mentions something that really pisses me off, to put it mildly.
"approve increases in the cigarette tax to provide funds for other measures, such as property tax relief or making health care more accessible"
Um..what the hell?! I can understand (and mildly accept) an increase in cigarette tax to help fund a healthcare shortage and to pay for the "wear and tear" of our healthcare system caused by smokers. A poster made an anology to a "usage tax" in the previous thread that makes sense.
But PROPERTY TAX RELIEF? How much more regressive can you get than taxing a product used mainly by the poor to benefit property owners? How bout we start taxing bus fares to subsidize caviar prices?
Can anyone explain the rationale behind this? It doesn't make sense to me.